I’ve ran out of silver coins and the parking meter doesn’t take pennies, which I understand, but if I get a ticket, I’m not going to be happy. The last time I put change in a meter, a quarter got me 30 minutes. This time, a quarter is getting me five minutes, but they accept $1 coins, but who in the world carries those around?
I’m a bit early for my lunch meeting with Sangeeta, head of recruiting at Twitter, Inc. When I walk into the office, there’s a flurry of activity and so I stand there, unsure of where to go since there isn’t a front desk. Finally, a woman in a pink shirt comes over to me and I tell her that I’m here to see Sangeeta, but that I first need to use the restroom.
I walk around to the open space that is Twitter HQ. To my left, there are a few brightly painted conference rooms, each square and each painted a different color. I’m in the bathroom and I see that there are jars full of toothbrushes and toothpaste. This is a serious operation.
I get myself situated in the common area and I notice the turquoise trash bags match the turquoise colored walls in the kitchen. It’s something I would notice, of course, so I tweet it. And, then I tweet two more times. And, I’m sitting there and somewhat feeling like a spy, but also slightly like a huge dork, but I’m guessing the latter is the most true.
Then, a man comes up to me and says hi. He says, “You made it here!”
I’m thinking, is it that obvious that I’m giddy over being here? Jeez, Jamie, be professional.
“Yeah, I’m here! What’s your name?” I say to him.
“I’m Jay.”
“Hi, Jay. I’m Jamie.”
“Oh, I know, I follow you on Twitter.”
“You do? I was just tweeting!”
“I know. I saw that you were here, so I decided to come and say hi.”
I sort of, momentarily, on the most minute scale, felt like a celebrity. (Thanks Jay for being so friendly!)
Jay and I chatted for a few minutes and then Sangeeta came over, so we could grab some lunch. A buffet of Mexican food was set up for the office, so we grabbed a couple of plates and went down the line. (If anyone cares, I ate roasted vegetables, and a taco with black beans, chicken, sour cream, and cheese.)
After grabbing our food, Sangeeta and I sat down on the couches in the corner of the common room. I talked about the site and what I could do if I worked for Twitter. I told her about how supportive everyone had been.
She asked me what I thought Twitter was all about.
I told her that I felt like the best part about Twitter was that people make it into what they want it to be. It’s changeable and adaptable and people use it for a variety of reasons. I told her how I’ve met people through Twitter or how Kogi BBQ uses it to sell tacos or how Skittles used it to promote their brand.
Then, Sangeeta introduced me to Biz Stone. He told me he liked the site a lot, that it was a little crazy, but that at Twitter, they love out of the box ideas. He said it was obvious I worked hard on the site and that it wasn’t just something I threw together. We talked a bit more and then I went back to sitting with Sangeeta.
Then, she introduced me to Evan Williams. He told me he liked the site as well and we chatted briefly about it. I told him that I wanted to work at Twitter, but I think they all already knew that.
Then, I talked with Sangeeta a bit more. I told her about my experience. She asked me what type of pay rate I’d be looking for. She asked me about other job offers/interviews I received. I told her.
At that point, she went to check her schedule and another Twitter employee, Jillian, came over to talk with me. She asked me about my experience (and insisted this wasn’t an interview) and I told her about some of my past jobs. We talked a bit about what I’ve done in the past and she told me about her job at Twitter. It was brief, but really great to meet her because she was so friendly.
Finally, Sangeeta came back and told me she had an appointment, so I got up to leave. I asked her if she’d like me to follow up about any job possibilities and she told me that they wanted someone with more experience for the PR Coordinator position and that I should keep an eye on the job site. I told her I would keep in touch about job opportunities.
Conclusion: I’m not sure. I will definitely keep my eye out for a position at Twitter, but I did receive an offer I couldn’t refuse to do part time social media marketing for a great Silicon Valley company called techVenture. I’ll be taking the position, but it is part time. There’s a possibility for it to move into full time, but that’s not for sure. However, I am extremely excited about this position, as it is exactly where I want my career to be header: social media marketing! Check out the company yourself — they are amazing.
We’ll see — there might be a place for me at Twitter eventually. I can’t be certain of such things right now.
However, it was great for them to ask me up for lunch. It was so great to meet Sangeeta, Jay, Jillian, Biz, and Evan. I’m sure there’s more in store there, but for now, that’s the story. We’ll see what happens next…
Mia // Mar 22, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Ok, so you didn’t get a job on the spot, but what an experience! And the many opportunities this will lead to. Congratulations on your ambition and effort, will definitely keep following you. Thanks for the inspiration.
Social Media for Job Recruitment « PR Thoughts and Insights // Mar 22, 2009 at 3:19 pm
[...] taken to prove herself a viable commodity to the twitter community. She created a webpage, titled Twitter Should Hire Me.com, where she blogs about Twitter and her ideas and experiences concerning it. One of the most [...]
Blogger Chief // Mar 22, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I like how you have one blog post per page.
Do the peeps at techVenture know about this blog?
Rob Jensen // Mar 22, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I just discovered this blog and wow, it sounds like an amazing experience and story. I love that the crew at Twitter were all very aware and open to giving you a shot.
Congrats on the hard work and getting started on a career in the valley. Even if not with Twitter it is a great start.
Anna // Mar 23, 2009 at 6:41 am
I find your experience to be very interesting. Your TSHM campaign certainly got your foot in the door. But when it came to to the non-interview/interview, it sounds like it didn’t go well. She told you point-blank that you weren’t in the running for the job. She didn’t even give you the standard “we’ll call you.” If someone with more experience had done TSHM, do you think they would have gotten the job? Or do you think there was something else in the campaign/non-interview that turned them off?
Leandra // Mar 23, 2009 at 3:22 pm
What a great experience! Really, your viral campaign was pretty genius. The right opportunities will come for you. Of that, I’m confident.
Keep up the great work.
Pranav // Mar 23, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Talk about being innovative; thats innovative; kudos jamie!
Taylor // Mar 23, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Love the story about the guy in the office following you on twitter and you were in the office at twitter. He works at twitter and he has been following you on twitter. He went out to meet you because he saw you were on twitter and that you were in the twitter office, twittering to someone that you were at twitter. OMG is that too much twitterverce! So great!! Love you Jay.
Jamie you are giving people so much hope and inspiration. I am a fan of yours. I love your STORIES! Congrats on the meeting.
Elliott Brown // Mar 23, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Sounds like a great experience. You may not have gotten the perfect result just yet, but doors are already starting to open–and you’re definitely an inspiration to others.
Bravo!
Twitter should hire me - Jobgesuche durch Brand buildung « Talking SM // Mar 30, 2009 at 8:57 am
[...] sie wurde immerhin zu einem Lunch eingeladen… mehr kann man leider noch nicht sagen. Doch sie bekam durch ihre Idee immerhin einen Job in [...]
shlok // Apr 4, 2009 at 9:46 am
visiting twitter must have been some experience..just don’t get into a soup like john mayer
Tom // Apr 5, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Hi,
I read the fortune story and that is how I found your blog. I love how you are focused on working for a company that you would be passionate about. I would encourage you to become more focused though.
Put yourself in their shoes. What can you offer that will fill their needs? Focus on some of their potential needs and what you can offer. I think you already proved your out of the box thinking. If you can get a meeting with them, if you are going to focus on marketing, then put together a presentation or even something out of the box on how you would grow twitter! If you can come up with ways to generate revenue for twitter, I am sure they would absolutely love that. Get thinking! : )
why i followed my passion and why you should, too — shatterboxx // Apr 5, 2009 at 9:33 pm
[...] site caught on almost instantaneously and since then, it has been a month full of excitement, from lunch at Twitter headquarters, Fortune Magazine interviews to now a live interview on [...]
Interview // May 24, 2009 at 1:36 pm
>What can you offer that will fill their >needs?
People tend to think too much about this.
For Twitter, it was good public relations. Here is a girl with a lot of adrenaline to work for their company. That was enough in the 1960’s or 1970’s, but not now.
You need skills, experience and sometimes the right university degree, race and business connections.
Twitter knew Jamie didn’t have all the skills and experience they required/desired. Twitter talked to her anyway and that made Jamie feel good.
For Twitter it was a PR move. That’s all.
Maybe Jamie did some positive networking at Twitter. Maybe it will lead in a job. Two “maybes.”
If it was me–with a wife and a child–I would feel the whole lunch was a waste of time. The HR person didn’t even consider Jamie “in the running.”
A job now is worth all the micro-fame in the world.
Alan Bleiweiss // May 25, 2009 at 11:19 pm
@Interview - what a sad and cynical view you have. While I understand your situation may call for a different perspective given your family situation, Jamie is not in your shoes and thus has the ability to be free to pursue her dreams, wherever they lead.
That need not be condemned nor knocked as a bad thing.
In fact, it’s to be applauded, given how the vast majority of our society is so “sheep to slaughter” stuck in a box of how life should be.
And its ironic that this very mentality has caused much of the tragedy that came from the greed-mongering of the big corporations that for decades have spend billions to convince people that the sheep to slaughter mentality is the only appropriate path to an income.
So kudos to Jamie for having the tenacity, courage, and ability to follow the more intuitive path!
Cheng // Dec 20, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Jamie is so cool
Susan Bluechild // Feb 6, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Jamie, you are fantastic!! I have huge admiration for you ..your the best!! You ‘ll be CEO of your own company one day soon!! Just wait!!
Susan x
Jon // Apr 29, 2010 at 8:35 pm
>> they accept $1 coins, but who in the world carries those around?
Canadians! We call them loonies
Thomas Hubbard // Jun 7, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Your awesome. Congrats on remaining upbeat. Inspiration to the masses. Good Luck